TV ratings are up 12% this year (and 25% in the last five years)...and the question is why. Bruce Feldman and Stu Mandel broached this on the Audible podcast yesterday.
Top theory...quality QB play. Why is it better this year?
NIL. A whole tier of QBs came back this year because they could make comparable money as returning starters. In past years, they would have lunged for the 4th-7th round NFL money, rather than stay another year and improve their draft stock.
This Saturday's game is case-in-point. Bo Nix at Oregon vs. Michael Penix at Washington. Both would have been drafted last year and would have been 3rd stringers on a pro roster as rookies. Instead, they're headlining the CFB game of the week. (This also might be partially the reason that Clifford surprised us all and got drafted where he did. Teams needed QBs and the pool was low on talent in 2023 because so many returned.)
Another way that NIL is making CFB more popular is the transfer portal. First it was grad transfers who could move around faster (think Russell Wilson from mediocre NCSt to good Wisconsin) and then it was immediately eligible transfers...but both of those rule changes meant that a stud QB at a lower school didn't need to diddle around on a small stage. Jayden Daniels going from ASU to LSU and Dillon Gabriel from UCF to Oklahoma and Sam Hartman (Wake to Notre Dame) are prime examples. And of course, NIL made this all the more alluring for the QBs.
Back when teams had to live or die with their own QB development and QB play across the upper echelon of CFB was weaker. Now, the big schools can be far more likely to have an excellent signal caller on fall Saturdays.
And QBs make the game appealing.
Gripe all you want about transfers and NIL...this is a way that the sport is evolving and advancing.
Top theory...quality QB play. Why is it better this year?
NIL. A whole tier of QBs came back this year because they could make comparable money as returning starters. In past years, they would have lunged for the 4th-7th round NFL money, rather than stay another year and improve their draft stock.
This Saturday's game is case-in-point. Bo Nix at Oregon vs. Michael Penix at Washington. Both would have been drafted last year and would have been 3rd stringers on a pro roster as rookies. Instead, they're headlining the CFB game of the week. (This also might be partially the reason that Clifford surprised us all and got drafted where he did. Teams needed QBs and the pool was low on talent in 2023 because so many returned.)
Another way that NIL is making CFB more popular is the transfer portal. First it was grad transfers who could move around faster (think Russell Wilson from mediocre NCSt to good Wisconsin) and then it was immediately eligible transfers...but both of those rule changes meant that a stud QB at a lower school didn't need to diddle around on a small stage. Jayden Daniels going from ASU to LSU and Dillon Gabriel from UCF to Oklahoma and Sam Hartman (Wake to Notre Dame) are prime examples. And of course, NIL made this all the more alluring for the QBs.
Back when teams had to live or die with their own QB development and QB play across the upper echelon of CFB was weaker. Now, the big schools can be far more likely to have an excellent signal caller on fall Saturdays.
And QBs make the game appealing.
Gripe all you want about transfers and NIL...this is a way that the sport is evolving and advancing.
